NWSL

The 2018 campaign begins with a trip west, followed by a home opener that will be broadcast nationally on Lifetime

The NWSL has revealed the home openers for the 2018 season, with the Washington Spirit opening the year with a a challenging road game against Seattle Reign FC. The Spirit will play their first home game the following weekend, hosting the Orlando Pride at the Maryland Soccerplex.

The North Carolina Courage announced on Tuesday that they have acquired Dunn's rights and an international roster spot via a trade with the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Spirit received Taylor Smith and Ashley Hatch.

Dunn, 25, was most recently on the books of Chelsea after signing with the English outfit in 2017, but played for Washington for three seasons prior to that.

The Washington Spirit striker will be playing in Spain during the NWSL offseason

Washington Spirit forward Francisca Ordega will spend her offseason in Spain on loan with Atletico Madrid. Ordega remains under contract with the Spirit, and with the Spanish season ending in March, should be back just in time for the start of the 2018 NWSL season.

The Washington Spirit's longest tenured player will spend this winter in Australia

Washington Spirit midfielder Tori Huster will return to Australia to play for the W-League's Newcastle Jets. It's a familiar move for Huster, who has previously spent time with Newcastle in 2012 and 2014. Additionally, the 28 year old spent the 2013 Australian season playing for the Western Sydney Wanderers.

Saturday's scoreless draw in Orlando was perhaps not the best of matches or results, for Thorns FC. The match was described in the Equalizer as leaving "...both sides less than satisfied" and by our own Katelyn Best as "...a chippy slog".

The result leaves the NWSL table in flux (Sky Blue's draw against Carolina also keeps the NWSL Shield in play) and was a disappointment for those of us hoping to see a return of the prolific Portland attack of midsummer.

Miami (Tuesday, December 19, 2017) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced today the winners in the remaining nine categories of the 2017 CONCACAF Awards. On Sunday, December 17, Alex Morganand Keylor Navas were announced as CONCACAF Female and Male Players of the Year during the fourth edition of [.

This week, we can watch the UEFA Champions and Europa Leagues; the WAFU Nations Cup; Copas MX, Sudamericana, Libertadores and Argentina; England's League Cup; a USWNT Friendly; a ton of league and college action; and The Union's ever trustworthy Process.

Hurricane Rodney has claimed an MLS match before it even makes landfall on the Texas coast.

Houston Dynamo were slated to host Sporting Kansas City at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, but the impending hurricane has postponed the match. The Houston Dash of the NWSL were supposed to play North Carolina Courage on Sunday.

This week, USMNT and every other National Team in World Cup Qualifying action. Also, NASL, NWSL, Euro U-21 Qualifying, a smattering of action from the international pro leagues, College Soccer, And The Union get to Trust The Process while they rest.

Two huge faces of the U.S. Women's National Team were in the news on Thursday as a part of a blockbuster trade in the NWSL.

Carli Lloyd has seen her drama-filled stint with the Houston Dash ended after the two-time FIFA Player of the Year was sent to Sky Blue FC. Lloyd will be joined by Canadian international Janine Beckie, who was also sent away by the Dash.

A separate deal saw the Spirit trade Lindsay Agnew and the 6th overall pick to pick up the 3rd overall pick in Thursday's draft

The NWSL offseason kicked into a higher gear today thanks in no small part to a pair of Washington Spirit trades. Washington traded the NWSL rights to Crystal Dunn (currently playing for Chelsea in England) and an international roster spot to the North Carolina Courage, picking up right back Taylor Smith and forward Ashley Hatch.

The winless ways of the Boston Breakers continued on Wednesday after they fell 3-1 to the Houston Dash at Jordan Field in Cambridge, Mass.

Even though Natasha Dowie's 26th minute strike put the match on level terms going to break after Sarah Hagen opened the scoring inside of 11 minutes, the Dash triumphed thanks to Janine Beck's 64th minute goal, which preceded another score from Hagen in the 79th minute.

Sarah Hagen's two goal performance led Houston to a 3-1 victory over Boston.

Sarah Hagen's breakout two-goal performance led the Houston Dash to a 3-1 victory over the Boston Breakers at Jordan Field in Boston on Wednesday night.

With Carli Lloyd out with an ankle sprain, Hagen made the most of her opportunity in the starting eleven, finding the back of the net twice, both following great attacking build-ups from the Dash attack.

The Rest

Also: Bocanegra pulls name for consideration, Russell on signing with SKC, Barco is setting in at ATLUD and more!

Portland

A letter to Thorns FC fans from Ashleigh Sykes | Portland Timbers Joining the club in June 2017, Sykes appeared in 15 matches (13 starts) during the regular season, and started in both 2017 NWSL playoff matches as she helped Thorns FC win the 2017 NWSL Championship.

Kathy Carter already has the support of MLS, and reports say she'll have the support of the NWSL as well in Saturday's U.S. Soccer election.

According to Sports Illustrated, the NWSL'sthree voting delegates (4.8 percent of the total vote) will go to Carter. The news comes as a further boost to Carter's campaign as the longtime executive is also expected to have the support of the nine MLSvoting delegates on the Professional Council.

The NWSL has announced the order of the dispersal draft to take place tomorrow, January 30, at 4 PM ET. This follows on the news that the Breakers will cease operations, effective immediately, and will not participate in the 2018 NWSL season.

UPDATED 1/25/18 10:00 PM ET: Added tweets from Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson regarding the status of the Breakers before the decision was made to fold the team.

A new ownership deal that could have kept the Boston Breakers local but moved them down to the Union Point land development in Weymouth has fallen apart, and with no new ownership able to step in on such short notice, the team will fold.

With a 1-0 loss on Sunday night, the Dash dropped their 10th straight match against Seattle Reign FC at Toyota Stadium in Frisco Texas. Jane Campbell had a standout performance with seven saves as Seattle fired 21 shots in her direction, nine on goal.